Retirement Speeches Examples

Retirement Speeches Example

Our retirement speech examples are testaments to what a retirement speech should be. Whether you are retiring yourself or toasting a retiree they exemplify what those parting words should say. If you order a speech pack from us you will find that you have a selection of at least three speeches from which to choose. So you can use one or a combination of pieces from the various speeches. Even better our packs include short, catchy poems to enable you to end your speech on an unexpected note. Our retirement speech examples give you a preview of our actual speeches so that you can judge our writing technique and see for yourself just how we can help you make it a retirement function to remember.

Please choose a sample speech below!

Retiring Politician Speech

Summary

This retirement speech given by a politician speaks of his memories over the years and thanks all those who contributed to his success.

Sample

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen

Today I am not looking for votes. I am, instead, giving a vote of thanks. I am thanking my colleagues, my staff, my family and indeed my friends for all they have done for me in my political career. Any thing I achieved I achieved because of their hard work, their support and their understanding. The things I didn’t achieve were, of course, entirely due to the vagaries of politics!

There is a saying that says, “Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”. I don’t know about that but I have to say that being a politician is not easy either. Your voters may prefer the party you represent. They themselves, though, are split up into a thousand different groups with varying interests and varying opinions. I might add that they are very vocal about such opinions and they expect their representative to be equally vocal on their behalf.

That, of course, is the true meaning of democracy and we are very lucky to live in a country where we can express our beliefs openly. As a politician I have spent much time meeting representatives of other countries who are not as liberal as our own. There is all the difference in the world between being strangled with red tape and actually being strangled or tortured.

I have tried in my career to cut through that red tape on behalf of groups with whom I have shared beliefs. I have also tried, and this is much more difficult, to see to it that those whose beliefs are different to my own get a fair hearing. I am very glad to see here today those who, though they do not always share my opinion, do share my opinion of true democracy.

Being a politician involves long hours of travel, longer hours of work and often a complete invasion of privacy. Today I must pay tribute to my wife and family who have always been very supportive although there were times they must have cursed the democratic system. In fact let’s be honest about it there were times when they did curse the democratic system and me too! For some unknown reason it seems that there is always an important political meeting on birthdays, school sports days and wedding anniversaries!

Nonetheless they too gained, as I did, from an exposure to different ideas, different cultures and different people. They gained from learning that there were others who had less than they did and others who demanded much of us all. I am speaking in particular for the homeless because, as you all know, their cause has been the one nearest to my heart. I consider that in a civilized society the fact that people remain homeless is a cause for deep shame. Although I am leaving active politics I will continue to be active on their behalf.

Today then I am retiring from the hurly burly of politics but I will take with me many memories of a career that was stimulating, challenging and usually far too busy. I will take with me memories of people who have been abusive, confrontational and sometimes, believe it or not, some who actually agreed with me.

I thank you for your kindness, your consideration and today I have to thank you too for your wonderful gift. It will be a constant reminder to me that my time in office achieved one thing. That is that I made many, many good friends. I am very glad that from now on I will have time to talk to them about the really important things in life such as their grandchildren or their golf handicap.

Politics is my past. My interest is in the future. After all, as the old saying goes I am going to spend the rest of my life there.

Retirement Speech to Retiree

Summary

This speech looks back on the working career of a mail carrier/post person and wishes him/her well in the future.It is suitable for a colleague or family member to give at a function celebrating the retirement.

Sample

Dave has spent his life delivering letters of congratulations and condolence. He has brought the news and the views of thousands of people to their relatives and friends. He has delivered examination results, all sorts of advertisements and of course those dreaded accounts. In fact he can probably tell an awful lot about people on his delivery route simply by the mail they receive. Unfortunately, for the curious amongst us anyway, Dave is the soul of discretion and will never reveal all he knows.

Today I hope he heard the plop of the post in his own hallway. After all, he is on the receiving end of our cards and our congratulations. It is his retirement day and we are gathered to wish him well in the future. Today, you see, Dave is starting out on a new adventure.

Now he may groan a little at that thought. He may claim that all he wants to do now is to relax for the rest of his life. He may visualise the ideal retirement gift as a rocking chair with a footstool for his sore feet. We can understand that because being a mail carrier can be very tiring and demanding. So we will be very agreeable and allow that he should have a few days rest or a short vacation. Then it will be back to the drawing board Dave and you can map out what you intend to do with the rest of your life.

Hopefully you will now have more time for your family and to catch up with old friends. It will be great to be able to say, “I will meet you on Tuesday” and know that you don’t have to go to work that day. It will be even nicer to be able to lie on a bit on a Monday morning.

Life, though, is full of challenges and Dave could never resist a challenge. So I am quite sure that he will soon be doing something new and exciting. I don’t know what that is. In fact Dave may not know what that is just yet. However I am sure he will develop new hobbies or skills and find satisfaction and enjoyment in so doing. He may, for instance, decide to cycle from coast to coast or to learn hula dancing. He could decide to keep greyhounds or start teaching a parrot to talk. Maybe he will produce a TV programme called “Secrets in the post” Perhaps we’ll see him in the papers as a representative for retired mail carriers/post people. Dave, being the kind of person he is, may find his satisfaction in joining some community or parish organization and helping others.

Whatever Dave chooses to do we hope that he will enjoy good health and happiness. We hope too that he will have happy memories of his years as a mail carrier/post person. Finally, I think it would be appropriate Dave, that if you go on that world cruise that you should send us a postcard saying “Wish you were here.”

Ladies and gentlemen please raise your glasses in a toast to Dave. May his retirement be all he has dreamt of himself. Dave!

(If applicable) It gives me great pleasure to present you with this gift as a token of our good wishes. We hope that it will always remind you of your colleagues and your many friends.

Today you are leaving, going on your way And we’ve gathered here to say That you’ve done well over the years And could probably write a play About the letters you had in your sack The griefs, the dramas the joys And birthday cards that meant a lot To so many girls and boys. You brought bad news and good news too In envelopes brown, white and blue You linked up friends and families So folks tonight I say “Now please” Raise your glasses and raise a toast To that wonderful person who brought the post!